#674 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Wednesday May 31)
Good morning,
Another day of potpourri…
A BIBLICAL OBSERVATION
Proposing a toast the other day, I asked a question once posed to me, “What was the first recorded business transaction in the bible?” Several people answered with “the deal between god and Adam about not eating the apple in the Garden of Eden.” Perhaps that was a transaction of sorts; although I think one side had more bargaining leverage than the other...! Then I refined the question, “What was the first recorded business transaction between two people?” The answer is below.
PUTIN AND TRUMP
“Many of you know that I regularly read financial wizard Andrew Tobias’s column, “Money and Other Subjects” on Substack. Andrew last week provided a brief answer (with links to sources) to respond to the Trump supporters who claim, like Mr. Trump, that there would never have been a Russian invasion of Ukraine if Trump were still in office or that Mr. Trump did not have an unusually kind feelings (some might say obsessive admiration) for Vladimir Putin, the war criminal of the 21st century. Here is his very brief summary:
Trump famously called Putin a ‘genius’ and ‘savvy’ for his Ukraine invasion . . . famously sided with Putin over the FBI . . . famously changed just one thing in the Republican platform, its support for Ukraine . . . famously held back Congressionally mandated aid to get Zelensky to manufacture dirt on Biden (“I just need you to find 11,780” — oh, wait, wrong perfect phone call) . . . and famously thrice refused in last week’s interview to take Ukraine’s side over Russia.”
As a side note, I love Andrew’s use of the word “thrice.”
THE FIRST BUSINESS TRANSACTION
The first recorded transaction was a real estate transaction. It was when Abraham purchased the Cave of Machpelah, in which he was to bury Sarah. Real estate was important stuff even back then!
MEMORIAL DAY
A reminder of what Memorial Day is about, from Mark DiMaria: One of the aspects of general ignorance among our fellow citizens that I have found amusingly disappointing over the years has been the lack of understanding of the difference between Memorial Day, designed to honor those who died in service, and Veterans Day, which is meant to honor those among us who served and survived!
SILENZIO, A MEMORIAL DAY STORY
From Mark Schwartz, this wonderful story remembering the sacrifice of American soldiers to liberate Europe:
“About six miles from Maastricht, in the Netherlands, lie buried 8,301 American soldiers who died in "Operation Market Garden" in the battles to liberate Holland in the fall/winter of 1944. Every one of the men buried in the cemetery, as well as those in the Canadian and British military cemeteries, has been adopted by a Dutch family who mind the grave, decorate it, and keep alive the memory of the soldier they have adopted. It is even the custom to keep a portrait of "their" soldier in a place of honour in their home.”
Annually, on "Liberation Day," memorial services are held for "the men who died to liberate Holland." The day concludes with a concert. The final piece is always "Il Silenzio," a memorial piece commissioned by the Dutch, composed by Nino Rossi and first played in 1965 on the 20th anniversary of Holland's liberation. It has been the concluding piece of the memorial concert ever since.
The soloist is a 13-year-old Dutch girl, Melissa Venema, accompanied by André Rieu and the Royal Orchestra of the Netherlands. http://www.flixxy.com/trumpet-solo-melissa-venema.htm
GOT OR GOTTEN, I DON’T HAVE AN ANSWER
Responding to one of my many lamentations over the decline of the English language and the use of good grammar, David Rochkind asks a question for which I don’t have an answer:
“What are your thoughts on the use of the words got and gotten? I was instructed to never use them and yesterday I came across headlines in reputable publications that used both. Perhaps another example of the decline in journalism?”
I don’t know. Do you? Some people gotta know…
Have a great day,
Glenn